A test handler is equipment that loads semiconductor devices in customer trays, which are manufactured by a certain process, onto a test tray, supports a tester to test the semiconductor devices loaded on the test tray, sorts the semiconductor devices based on the test result, and then unloads the semiconductor devices in the test tray onto customer trays. The technology related to the test handler has been disclosed through many publications.
The semiconductor devices are, in general, loaded onto and stored on the customer tray. The customer tray is configured in such a way that intervals between columns and between rows of loaded semiconductor devices can be minimized such that the highest possible number of semiconductor devices can be loaded. As well, the test tray is configured in such a way that the loaded semiconductor devices can be arranged to have intervals for testing between columns and rows of the loaded semiconductor devices. That is, the intervals of the semiconductor devices on the test tray are greater than those of the semiconductor devices in the customer tray. Therefore, when the semiconductor devices are loaded from the customer trays onto the test tray or unloaded from the test tray onto the customer trays, the intervals of the semiconductor devices must be regulated.
Like the customer tray and the test tray, certain intervals of semiconductor devices are maintained by the following elements: an aligner or preciser included in the loading unit/unloading unit, a buffer for loading and storing remaining semiconductor devices, a moving-type loading table which was disclosed in the present applicant's prior Korean Patent application (Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0007763, entitled “TEST HANDLER AND LOADING METHOD THEREOF”), or a sorting table included in the unloading unit, etc.
The present invention is related to a pick-and-place apparatus that picks semi-conductor devices from any one of the above listed elements (a customer tray, a test tray, an aligner, a buffer, a moving-type loading table and a sorting table) and then safely places them onto another element. If the pick-and-place apparatus is included in a loading unit, it is called a loader or a loading hand. On the contrary, if the pick-and-place apparatus is included in an unloading unit, it is called an unloader or an unloading hand.
The pick-and-place apparatus, which has been known up to now, includes: 8 or 16 picking units, which are arranged in a 2×4, 1×8, or 2×8 matrix form, to pick up semi-conductor devices; and a widthwise interval regulation apparatus for changing and regulating the intervals of the picking units in the width direction; and/or a lengthwise interval regulation apparatus for changing and regulating the intervals of the picking units in the length direction respectively. Recently, the pick-and-place apparatus is configured to include picking units, arranged in 2×8 matrix form, as the picking units become small and light. Here, the picking units are configured in two rows in the pick-and-place apparatus to increase the number of semiconductor devices transferable at one time, thereby reducing the loading or unloading time. To transfer semiconductor devices between the above listed elements using such a pick-and-place apparatus having a structure of two rows, the intervals between the columns of the picking units (widthwise direction intervals, or column intervals) and the intervals between the rows of the picking units (lengthwise direction intervals, or row intervals) must be regulated, respectively.
The conventional interval regulation apparatus regulates the picking units such that picking units in one of the row picking units or the column picking units can all be aligned at the same interval. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the picking units 11 of two rows can be selectively arranged in a first state of FIG. 1A or in a second state of FIG. 1B by the operation of the interval regulation apparatus. That is, the interval between the rows of the picking units 11 in the first state is ‘x’ and the interval between the rows of the picking units 11 in the second state is ‘u’. As such, the conventional interval regulation apparatus provides only two regulated states (the first and second states). That is, the conventional interval regulation apparatus can only maintain the intervals between adjacent rows of picking units as ‘x’ or ‘u’. It is because the intervals between the rows of the semiconductor devices loaded on the customer tray are the same as ‘x’ and the intervals between the rows of the semiconductor devices loaded on the test tray are the same as ‘u’. The foregoing is also applied in the interval between the columns of the picking units.
Meanwhile, in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0003709 entitled “INSERT MODULE AND TEST TRAY FOR TEST HANDLER,” which is hereinafter referred to as a conventional art, the present applicant has proposed a technology related to an insert module that receives (loads) two semiconductor devices. In the conventional art, the test tray has a multiplicity of insert modules that are arranged in a matrix form.
The following is a description of a test tray 200 disclosed in the conventional art, on the basis of only rows. As shown in FIG. 2, the test tray 200 installs the insert modules 201 thereon, which are arranged in the matrix form. Each insert module 201 is configured to load two semiconductor devices. Considering other factors, the semi-conductor devices received by the insert modules are preferably arranged being spaced apart from each other at different row intervals, ‘t’ and ‘u’. That is, the rows of the semi-conductor devices received by the same insert modules 201 are spaced apart from each other at an interval ‘t’. And, the rows of the semiconductor devices received by the adjacent insert modules 201 are spaced apart from each other at an interval ‘u’.
Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the semiconductor devices are arranged in a customer tray 300 at the same interval ‘x’ between the rows thereof.
Therefore, when the conventional 2×8 pick-and-place apparatus transfers the semi-conductor devices from the customer tray 300 of FIG. 3 to the test tray 200 of FIG. 2, which is called as loading, or transfers the semiconductor devices from the test tray 200 to the customer tray 300, which is called as unloading, the intervals between the rows of semiconductor devices must be regulated. But, as described above, since the conventional pick-and-place apparatus must be subjected to restrictions in regulating the intervals between the rows of semiconductor devices, it cannot be maximally performed. Specifically, regarding loading, when the semiconductor devices are provided to, for example, the first and second rows of the test tray 200, the conventional 2×8 pick-and-place apparatus can place 16 semiconductor devices on the first and second rows at one time, however, when the semiconductor devices are provided to the second and third rows of the test tray 200, it firstly places 8 semiconductor devices on the second row and then 8 semiconductor devices on the third row. Therefore, the conventional pick-and-place apparatus is disadvantageous in that it requires a complicate control procedure and thus a time for transferring the semi-conductor devices is delayed.